Dove Antidote Program
A Dove Antidote Program is a complex anti-virus software, designed to obliterate powerful computer viruses and spread peace through the core system. Kryten develops a Dove program After a battle in which ''Starbug'' was victorious against a Simulant Battle Cruiser, the Simulant Captain in his final moments transmitted the Armageddon Virus over to Starbug. This was a complex computer virus which affected the navicomp, and froze the Dwarfers out of the controls for the 'bug. It also locked them on a kamikaze course with a large molten lava moon, 38 minutes ahead. , a comatose Kryten attempts to create a Dove Antidote Program]] Kryten volunteered to deliberately contract the Armageddon Virus in order to analyze its structure and attempt to create an appropriate software antidote before it wipes out his core program. As he contracted it, Kryten was wracked with green energy and instantly began to feel weaker. Shutting down all his non-essential systems, before he went to sleep Kryten asked Dave Lister to "watch his dreams". Kryten's battle against the virus was manifested by his subconscious into an electronic dream where he was the downtrodden, alcoholic sheriff of a Wild West town called Existence. A group of outlaw brothers, the Apocalypse Boys (who appear to be a manifestation of the Armageddon Virus, and whose leader Brother Death appears to be an avatar of the late Simulant Captain) give Sheriff Kryten one hour to get out of Existence. On the Cat's suggestion, the Dwarfers hook Kryten up the AR Suite and enter Kryten's dream as characters from the game Streets of Laredo. Dave Lister is knifeman "Brett Riverboat", the Cat is legendary gunfighter "The Riviera Kid", and Arnold Rimmer is barefist fighter extraordinaire Dangerous Dan McGrew. The gang enter the Last Chance Saloon where Sheriff Kryten is attempting to sell his mule and his pistols to the madam Lola, and attempt to stop him. Then then use the special skills of their avatars in a barroom brawl as they protect Kryten from various bullies. Kryten tries to rn out of the town, but a bullet fired by the Cat ricochets around the buildings, knocks down the town signage and Kryten with it, stopping him from leaving. Kryten's time is nearly up, and the Dwarfers take him back to the now empty saloon and attempt to sober him by getting him to eat bowls of raw coffee. They also attempt to tell him who he is, and why he is there, but Kryten struggles to remember. Cat appears from upstairs after retrieving the sheriff's guns - noting that there is nowhere for the bullets to go. Lister also realises that there is little doves carved onto the handles. Lister tells Kryten that the answer is in the guns, and implores Kryten to remember and focus. Just then, Cat says that they have company outside - the Apocalypse Boys are here. The gang go outside for a showdown, which goes well for the Dwarfers until Brother Death erases their special skills. The Dwarfers are then forced to flee back to reality before the Apocalypse Boys can kill them, leaving Kryten alone. However, the showdown has given Kryten enough time to complete the software antidote, and after goading the outlaws, their bullets harmlessly bounce off him. Kryten then pulls out his pistols, which transform into doves. As the doves fly around the Apocalypse Boys, they collapse and then disintegrate into a brief green mist. Kryten then wakes up, having regained all his faculties, telling the others he has completed the Dove Program. They all run to the cockpit of Starbug, where Kryten uploads the Dove Program into the navicomp and they regain control of the ship. However, it appears to be to late, and the ship crashes into the molten surface of the lava moon. Within a few seconds, Starbug reappears from the lava, smouldering but still intact, and flies off into the sunset. ("Gunmen of the Apocalypse", Series VI) Background Information * The doves released by Robert Llewellyn were real, trained doves, although they refused to fly for him on the day of shooting. It took a few takes, and for Llewellyn to throw them instead of just releasing them, to get the right take."Return to Laredo", Series VI DVD References Category:Technology Category:Kryten Category:Series VI Category:Weapons Category:Hallucination Category:Artificial Reality